Nhà Hàng Giếng Bá Lễ — Restaurant in Hội An

Let me preface this by saying I actually think I ended up in the wrong Da Nang! There seems to be a really well-regarded restaurant called Ba Le Well (Giếng Bá Lễ) in Hội An, which is near Da Nang. This review is for the restaurant named after the ancient well, not Da Nang itself.

So, I was really looking forward to trying some local specialties at a place named after a historical landmark, Giếng Bá Lễ sounded fascinating! The restaurant itself was charming, tucked away in a little alley with a lovely outdoor garden area. I opted for the garden seating, it was a beautiful evening.

The staff were friendly and helpful, and their English was great. They even brought out a complimentary cup of tea after my meal, which they mentioned was brewed with water from the famous Bá Lễ well. A nice touch!

I decided to go for a set menu, mostly because I was unfamiliar with the dishes. The food itself was good, fresh ingredients and cooked well. I especially enjoyed the nem lụi (grilled pork skewers) - perfectly flavorful and juicy. However, I wouldn't say it was mind-blowing. Perhaps I had set my expectations a little too high based on the online reviews.

Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience in a lovely setting. If you find yourself in Hội An and are looking for a nice local meal, I would recommend checking out Ba Le Well (Giếng Bá Lễ). Just don't expect a culinary revelation, but rather a solid meal in a...

The pros: Interesting location on a nice alleyway. Generous portions -- you definitely get the feeling you're feasting, even with two people. A quick "combo tour" of popular faves like nem nuong and banh xeo, with fun demos on how to roll your own. The sauce that ties both dishes together is the best thing on the table.

The cons: The food wasn't that great -- oily and not very flavorful, so the sauce ends up being the only strong note. Maybe we've gotten spoiled, but we had spectacular nem nuong at Nem Nướng Dũng Lộc in Dalat (70k for 2 people) and great banh xeo here in Hoi An at Bon Restaurant (39k for a portion this same size). Those two meals were 109K -- this was 240k for two, and not half as good. Which was super disappointing.

My guess is that this place has carved a profitable niche offering the "tour bus" version of local favorites for people who don't stay long enough to experience...

It seems there are other locations that had me fooled, thinking they were the restaurants we were looking for. I am glad we managed to find the original and they have the signs and vibe to prove it. Dine-in experience is alfresco. Tree shade with a slight breeze made the experience relaxing.

We each had the set meal and the serving size was huge! I enjoyed the crunch of the rice paper, egg pancake, and vegetables plus the grilled taste of the meats.

Serving speed was very fast. I just came from their WC (restroom) and the food was all out on the table already. Dessert was subtly sweet and we each received a bottle of water towards the end of our meal.

This meal experience is very hands-on. You might need to shoo away some flies every now and then, but if that is something you are used to back at home, then you should be fine. Staff were extremely friendly, warm, and welcoming plus accessible...